


Clint The Curious Merman

by roshytsunami



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, The Incredible Hulk (2008), The Incredible Hulk - All Media Types
Genre: M/M, merman
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-04-18
Updated: 2015-05-09
Packaged: 2018-03-23 14:11:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,443
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3771202
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/roshytsunami/pseuds/roshytsunami
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Clint is a merman who has been banished from his pod. Forced to grow up quickly to survive he takes an interest in all things that appear strange or curious to him. What happens when one stormy day he saves the life of a human named Bruce Banner?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Beginning

Clint likes playing in the ocean. It’s fun and great to play tag with the fish and eels but it gets boring some days. He was cast out of his pod years ago something about not having the right tail color. He doesn’t think his tail look that bad. It’s a dark purple almost black and it’s smooth like a dolphin tail. The only major difference is it has spiked fins. They’re not visible at all and only come out when he is in defense mode or really angry or hungry because those spikes work just as good as those human spears or whatever they call them now. However his pod doesn’t see it that way and makes him leave their home to wander the ocean alone and bored.

Wait a second what’s this a boat is out here on the sea right now? That doesn’t make sense doesn’t the human know a storm is coming? Sure it looks beautiful right now but the ocean is churning and getting colder. His dorsal fin is on edge and he can hear off in the distance the sounds of worried dolphins. A storm is coming and this human is going to die out on the sea. He looks at how large the boat is making a guess that it should only be able to carry one person maybe two humans at the most.

He swims in a circle under the boat thinking about what he should do. He doesn’t exactly look human enough. His has hard bone like fins on his forearms, claws on his fingers and a weird mark of scales around his gills. He was an early merfish. He’s lucky he didn’t down under water given the fact his gills still appear to be fish like when they should blend into his skin easily.

He keeps swimming around the boat before making a decision. If he only stays a head above the water he can warn the human. Yes that should work there’s nothing weird or some strange appendage protruding from his head like that narwhal he followed one year. Yes he should pass as a human. Unfortunately while Clint was thinking of a plan to warn the human the storm had already begun to rock the boat. Something falls over and Clint races down to catch both items. One looks like a weird chunky necklace and has a clear bubble inside and the other appears to be two bubbles stuck on a chain and some coral. It’s strange and Clint thinks of returning the items to the human if he can make it back to land.

Clint follows the boat as it continues to rock and get further and further out to sea. Is the human not trying anymore? Has the human died? Clint takes only a second to think before he is swimming up and breaking the surface.

The rain pours down on him mercilessly and the wind rips through his hair as he looks up at the boat and sees no movement. He goes down under the sea again until he is far enough away from the boat before using his tail to project himself out of the sea and land on the small boat. The human is no longer in the boat. He scratches his head and looks over the side of the boat and spots the human struggling to swim in the sea.

Why would a human come out to sea if they don’t know how to swim? He wastes no time and rolls out of the boat tail accidentally flipping the small boat over. That’s not good he was going to use it to save the human who is drowning. Quickly Clint swims towards the man and grabs him under the arms before he is swimming as fast as he can towards a small island. It should be large enough for the man to get out of the water and at least find help. It doesn’t take Clint long to get the human on land.

Clint struggles to get the human on the land and frowns. Humans are not supposed to look that blue. Did he accidentally drown him bringing him to the small stretch of land? He begins to think and remember what a human did to wake one up. He raises his tail high in the air making sure his spines are retracted before slapping the man repeatedly on the chest until he coughs up water.

He smiles happy that it worked he didn’t remember if humans used their feet or hands to wake a blue human and he had no time to waste. He flops back to the water quickly while the man turns on his side coughing looking around squinting as he rubs his chest, “hello,” he asks.

“Is someone there I need help please,” he says begging.

Clint sighs and tries to remember his human speech and looks at the man, “I’m here.”

Bruce jumps at the nose before smiling, “I dropped my glasses I can’t see where are you,” he asks squinting as he moves around.

Clint flops back on land tackling the human down, “no move stay,” he says handing him the necklaces. He doesn’t know what glasses are but maybe these are them.

Bruce grabs the items and gasps, “these are my glasses thank you so much…oh my god you’re a fish,” he says pointing at him once he has his glass on, “you…you’re a mermaid no merman?”

Clint puffs up and hisses at the human. He will not be made fun of as he tries to flop back to the water.

“No wait I’m sorry you just startled me,” he says running over to Clint who has made it in the water swimming away.

Bruce shouts at him from the island yelling sorry but doesn’t see the mysterious merman return or even appear above the water. Bruce sighs as he begins to scout the island. He had screwed up big time scaring a merman away. He goes over to a palm plant and begins to tear the leave and make a makeshift guard against the rain as he looks for shelter or civilization. He heads back over to where the merman saved him and falls on his backside as the merman pops out from behind the rock scaring him. He screams shrilly and loudly as the merman holds his ears and tilts his head at him.

“Sorry,” Bruce said looking at the merman who has a puzzled look on his face.

The merman looks like he is about to speak before closing his mouth then opening it again, “what sorry mean?”

Bruce is taken back, “what does sorry mean?”

Clint nods his head and Bruce scratches the back of his neck. His stupid curls are sticking to the back of his neck making him uncomfortable. Actually the whole rain and thunderstorm is making him uncomfortable. He just hopes he won’t get a thigh rash because he was walking in wet shorts today.

“Um sorry means to apologize to say I made a mistake and forgive,” he says looking at the merman’s confusion.

The merman looks at him, “say sorry for mistake and,” he points to himself, “forgive?”

“Do you mean do you have to accept my sorry if I say it? No not really only when you think I’m being really sorry.”

Clint pauses thinking and nods his head, “forgive if forgive Clint,” he says.

Bruce looks at him and nods his head, “sure I’ll forgive you Clint. Oh Clint is your name um my name is Bruce what are you sorry for?”

Clint holds up the weird chunky necklace that looks damaged, “got mad. Break glasses.”

Bruce looks at the item and frowns, “those aren’t glasses. It’s a camera it takes pictures. It might still work. It just got dented. Did you save me?”

Clint nods his head, “yes bring to island and tail flap.”

“Tail flap,” Bruce asks before Clint demonstrates in the water.

“Tail flap so no blue,” he says.

“Oh,” he says realizing the depth of danger he was in, “thank you Clint if there’s anything I can do to repay you…”

“Friend,” Clint says suddenly flushing, “friend and teach.”

Bruce looks at him confused, “you want me to become your friend,” Clint nods his head vigorously, “and teach you what?”

Clint points to his mouth, “teach.”

“Oh teach you more words. Oh well ok that doesn’t seem too bad but I’m stuck on a deserted island…”

“No,” says Clint, “humans there,” he points where a small port can be seen and Bruce just clears his fogged up glasses and huh’s surprised.

“Well thank you Clint we’ll meet here for our lessons tomorrow?”

Clint nods his head vigorously.

“Well I’ll see you tomorrow then,” he smiles, “bye Clint.”

Clint looks confused before copying Bruce, “bye Bruce?”

Bruce just waves to him as he begins to take the path to the port on land. Clint wishes he could follow him but he doesn’t want to get killed by other humans who are not like Bruce. Humans can be dangerous. They killed Bubbub’s father the whale with a spear. It was terrifying. He shivers as he heads back out to the sea he was hungry and like Bruce said he would be back tomorrow.


	2. Goodbye Ocean

Clint arrives back at the shore the next day. The tides are high so he’s able to swim closer to the shore than he did yesterday. His tail is splashing in the shallow water as he waits for Bruce to arrive for their lessons.

“Clint,” shouts Bruce looking around backpack on and searching the beach for the merman. He had to have been crazy thinking he saw a merman. Maybe he was too dehydrated from the salt water or he hallucinated everything? He doesn’t know he just know that he has to go to the shoreline and look for Clint and if he’s there he’ll be a firm believer that mermen exist outside of fairy tales.

Clint hears Bruce calling for him again and screeches loud enough to startle Bruce who sees Clint sitting on the bank tail in the water.

“Ok so I wasn’t dream yesterday so um hi,” says Bruce awkwardly as he just stands there.

Clint looks up at him and pats the water, “Bruce sit?”

Bruce looks down and shakes his head, “oh no thanks I can’t get my clothes dirty.”

Clint nods his head thinking for a minute, “take clothes off Bruce sit?”

Bruce flushes listening to Clint and shakes his head, “uh no. I’ll just sit up here on drier land and um you know not get wet,” Bruce says as Clint follows him with his blue eyes. He rolls over onto his belly arms holding up his head as he tail splashes in the water and grins, “no fun. Teach words now?”

Bruce nods his head and smiles, “oh yes that’s why I came here to teach. So do you know how to write? Um it looks like this,” he says spelling his name before underlining it, “the word says Bruce…”

Clint touches the sand marked by Bruce and looks up at him eager, “teach write name? How write Clint?”

Bruce smiles as he pushes his glasses up, “well your name is Clint so it would look like this,” he says erasing his name and writing Clint’s name in the sand.

Clint looks at his name in the sand and touches it gently, “Clint. Teach more,” he says excited.

Bruce is surprised by the interest and sets his backpack down to teach Clint the basics of language. Clint is a fast learner he doesn’t know if he naturally can pick up things quickly or if that is what his species can do. He has already taught him the alphabet, his name and few more words to speak. Mostly he taught him more verbs and prepositions since he doesn’t know a lot of them. It is getting late though and he needs to get home.

Clint looks up at Bruce tail splashing in the water, “Bruce teach more,” he asks as he sees Bruce getting his bag packed up. Bruce looks over at Clint frowning thinking about what he can tell Clint. He of course can’t stay any longer, it will be dark soon and the roads are dangerous at night especially the dirt road to his home.

“Uh not anymore today. I have to head home before it gets too dark,” he says putting his book away in his backpack.

Clint looks at him thinking for a moment, “Can I come,” he asks. It’s not like he has a family or anyone in the ocean he will miss and with Bruce it’s nice to spend time with him even if he only has two legs.

Bruce turns eyebrow raised and looks at him confused, “I’m sorry Clint but you can’t come with me. I don’t live this close to the ocean and I don’t have anything that could be converted into a water source for you to use…well except maybe that old bathtub…”

“Yes tub,” Clint says excited, “I use tub…please,” he asks Bruce looking into his eyes.

Instead of giving Clint a clear no he says, “I can’t take you away from the ocean it’s your home.”

Clint shakes his head, “not home. Lonely. I have no home. Want…to home Bruce,” he says still having a hard time with some words.

“Clint I’m not taking you home,” he says as Clint begins to pout before going back into the ocean. He disappears under the water and Bruce wonders if he has angered Clint again when he sees him propel forth and land on the beach.

“Bruce home or die,” he says stubbornly as he lies on the hot sand getting burned. Bruce tries to pull Clint back into the water but he’s a dead wait and won’t move.

“Clint you need to get back in the ocean or you’ll die.

“Bruce home or die,” he says stubbornly.

“Fine, fine just get back in the water,” he says pulling Clint in the water easier once he has agreed to take Clint home with him.

Bruce shakes his head, “I mean this is crazy to even be thinking about it but even if I wanted to bring you home how would you come with me? My car is a long way away,” he says before looking at Clint’s confused face, “uh car is a way to travel. Instead of swimming I use a vehicle to travel. Does that make sense?”

Clint nods his head and smiles proudly, “rode dolphin and whale.”

Bruce looks at him confused pushing his glasses up his nose before nodding his head, “oh yes it is like riding a whale or dolphin but it’s far away with no ocean to get there…”

“I swim closer,” he asks tilting his head to look at Clint.

“I don’t think…wait that might work if you can handle the estuary and I could use the tarp as a way to keep you wet,” he says mumbling to himself the plan out using words Clint has never heard of before. Clint just pays attention and nods his head agreeing with Bruce. He just wants to go home with Bruce and if that means going into an estuary then he will.

“It could work…but Clint before I do this do you really want to give up the ocean? I can always bring you back if something happens but…”

“Yes. Want home Bruce,” he says eyes determined as he looks up at Bruce.

“Uh ok then I guess do you know where the estuary is,” he asks rubbing the back of his neck. He hopes he hasn’t gotten burnt on his neck today. He had used 50spf lotion today.

“What estuary,” he asks innocently as he splashes his tail in the water to wet his back. He was starting to dry out just from that short contact with the sand earlier.

“It’s a place where shrimp and small animals grow like clams and it has groove trees and…”

Clint listens to Bruce and thinks about where he has eaten baby shrimp before and the strange trees that had stuck out of the ocean. He looks at Bruce blinking his eyes thinking, “twisted trees?”

“Yeah I think so with pink flowers or leaves,” Bruce asks him surprised.

Clint nods his head, “I know where it is. Swim there?”

“Yeah swim there and I’ll see you in about twenty minutes,” he nods his head putting his backpack on quickly.

Clint nods his head and is already out of Bruce sight before Bruce has even taken ten steps back to his car. Clint smiles as he swims quickly under the ocean water. He takes one last look at the ocean before smiling. Who care about the depth of the oceans? He’s going to have someone to talk to and he’s learning quicker the human language. Maybe one day he can teach Bruce how to say his name.

He arrives at the estuary sooner than Bruce and decides why not to have a small snack of shrimp and clams before he hears a loud noise coming from the land.

Meanwhile Bruce is going over the plan in his head as he walks back to his car. It’s about 300 feet away from the beach and he wasn’t lying when he said it would take him twenty minutes to get to estuary. He takes the small dirt path and parks his car close to the estuary and somewhere where his car won’t fall into the mix of ocean and fresh water.

He looks around the area before calling his name, “Clint?”

Clint smiles when he hears Bruce call his name and swims awkwardly toward him, “Bruce here,” he says flopping in the shallow water.

Bruce looks down where Clint is flopping and frowns, “oh there you are. Is your tail hurt?”

Clint looks up at him and laughs shaking his head, “no small,” he says pointing the estuary before looking back at him, “take home?”

“Sure just let me get some water in the back of the truck so you won’t dry out,” he says moving down the slope of the land pails in hand as he gathers the first bucket and then a second bucket and carries them back up one at a time. He sets them in the back of the truck. Clint can use them to keep himself wet as he is transferred to his home.

Bruce then brings the tarp and frowns wondering how to get Clint up on the tarp, “can you jump up here or maybe there is a place where it’s not so high of a jump up?”

Clint nods his head, “yes there,” he says pointing a few feet a head of Bruce’s truck smiling.

Bruce looks sheepish, “why didn’t you tell me that before I carried the pails.”

Clint grins, “not know,” he says flopping towards the lower bank.

Bruce just sighs as he heads over there and gets the tarp wet in the water before looking at Clint, “ok you’re going to have to push yourself on the tarp,” he says as Clint jumps on the tarp with ease, “ok good job.”

He then begins to pull Clint back to the back of the truck taking a few steps and huffing as he slides Clint back to the car. Clint frowns and tries to flop to help Bruce.

“Clint that just makes it worse I got it,” he says dragging him to the truck and taking a breather for a moment before looking down at Clint, “ok this is the truck I need you to hold onto the back,” he says patting the door of the bed of the truck, “as I slide you on.”

Clint nods his head as he uses his arms to hold himself up on the back of the truck wondering if this is how two legs stand or walk. It’s so strange. Soon enough Bruce as the tarp laid out in the back and carefully lifts Clint onto the bed of the truck.

“You ok,” he asks scooting to the edge of the bed of the truck before closing the door.

“Yes,” he says cupping some water from the bucket and putting it on his fin.

“Um ok just hold on. I should be home in ten minutes from here,” he says heading the driver’s seat and staring the truck. Clint’s eyes widen as he hears the noise from before and feels the truck shake beneath his body as Bruce drives them home. It’s so strange to be feeling the wind and not swimming in the ocean.

He looks around at all the sights, the trees, the buildings, other humans. They are all so fascinating as they walk on their two legs instead of swim. Bruce begins to slow the car down arriving at his home. It’s an old brick house bigger enough for a family of four but not as huge as a mansion. He looks at it in wonder and flops in the back of the truck excited.

“Hey stop moving we’ll be in there soon,” he says parking the car in the open garage. He gets out of the car and heads to the back where Clint is still flopping around and pointing at new things.

“Excited,” he says tail flopping happily, “what this,” he points at the ground.

“Yeah I would be too and that’s a sidewalk. We use it to walk on like a good swimming current,” he says unsure thinking about how he is going to get Clint in his house before a critical question comes to mind.

“Do you need real sea water or is salt water ok,” he asks worried looking at Clint who is putting more of the water on his body.

“Water is water. Need water,” he states simply confused by the question.

  
“So it doesn’t matter if it is salt or sea water?”

“No, adjust,” he says pointing at his gills before shrugging.

Bruce thinks on what he says before it comes to him, “oh you’re like a saltwater and fresh water fish so I’ll gradually change the water to fresh water so I don’t shock your system.”

Clint listens to him and nods his head, “yes. Tub,” he asks looking at Bruce who looks embarrassed having been caught up in his thoughts. He quickly makes sure the tarp is still in good condition before helping Clint down using the tarp. It’s not an easy or simple task but he does manage to get Clint inside his house.

He sighs as he realizes the tub is still at the end of the house. He begins to drag Clint to the tub before opening the door and pulling Clint inside. Clint looks at the tub and touches it curious. Bruce begins to run hot water before changing it to warm water before he begins to fill the tub.

“I’ll be back just need the salt don’t touch anything,” he says before quickly heading to his kitchen cabinet and getting the jar of salt. He then heads back to the bathroom where Clint is waiting patiently and dumps some salt into the tub before mixing it around to dissolve it. Clint watches Bruce intensely not touching anything.

“Um bath is ready or tub,” he says getting ready to lift Clint into the tub.

Clint instead puts his finger in the water, “warm,” he was surprised the water was so warm.

“Is it too hot,” Bruce asks worried about to ask him more when Clint speaks.

“No warm nice,” he smiles as he uses his arms to raise himself up before plopping in the tub getting Bruce wet. He almost purrs with how nice the water feels.

“Nice,” he smiles dripping the water over his tail.

“I’m glad you like it,” Bruce says wiping his glasses with the part of his shirt that isn’t wet. He’ll have to get some towels and mats to clean up the spilled water. He looks at Clint in the tub as his stomach growls, “are you hungry?”

“Yes fish and crab,” he asks unsure if Bruce has those foods or if humans don’t eat them.

“Well maybe,” he rubs the back of his neck. Seafood was expensive even if it was plentiful in this area, “Can you eat anything other than seafood?”

“Not know,” he says thinking. He had never tries human food before. It all look soggy or green like algae and he didn’t like to eat algae.

Bruce nods his head, “well I’ll bring some fish up and we can try some other foods and see if you like it.”

Clint nods his head smiling, “yes food,” he says watching Bruce leave the bathroom.

Bruce heads to the kitchen and sighs taking out some fish he got from the market and wonder if Clint would like it cooked or not. Well he probably ate everything raw so if shouldn’t hurt him. He puts a few fish on the plate as well as some crab meat before getting another plate and putting healthy snacks on the tray like carrots, or apple slices along with some plain noodles before he heads back up to the bathroom.

He finds Clint submerged under the water and taps the tub once making Clint get up looking at Bruce, “ok so this is fish and crab here but on this other plate are some carrots, apple slices, and noodles you can try and see if you like them,” he says placing the plates by him before heading to the door.

Clint looks at the food curious before frowning when Bruce tries to leave, “Bruce stay?”

“Don’t you want to eat in peace,” he asks looking at Clint.

He shakes his head, “no lonely. Bruce stay. Share food,” he says holding the plates out to him.

“That’s nice but it’s your food,” Bruce smiles heading for the door again when a carrot is thrown at his head.

“Wait for Bruce food,” Clint says looking at Bruce who has picked up the small carrot and thrown it away in the garbage.

“Oh I’m not hungry,” he says as his stomach growls. He looks embarrassed as he looks at Clint, “don’t throw your food and waste it.”

Clint ignores his comment and grins, “need food,” he says grinning wider, “come eat…here.”

Bruce looks at him and shakes his head laughing, “you’re stubborn,” he says as Clint just grins back up at him knowing Bruce will be joining him in a few minutes for dinner.


End file.
